golfhan1

It is virtually impossible for me to find BRG at any Starwood properties in BKK. I used to be able to snatched few BRG with Athenee and ROS and once at W. That is no longer the case especially after new reduction rate of 30% off matched rate.

paolo64

Re the Aloft/HIX comparison. I do this pair from time to time, most recently a couple of weeks ago. Value for money ,it's hard to ignore HIX when it's in the 1500-1600 Baht range. True, the breakfast is gruesome, the coffee unspeakable...but the rooms are fine, bed comfy, bathroom ok. The real downside is the external noise: major construction on one side, incessant traffic ( tuk tuk, motorcy) on the other. You have to be lucky to get something halfway quiet.
Aloft, I never had a problem with external noise ( banging doors occasionally). Breakfast is infinitely better. If it's only 700 or 800 Baht more ,then the Aloft is better value to me. Week nights are usually cheaper, weekends are busier with Singaporean, Malaysian, Indian youngsters and consequently a rather jolly atmosphere.

creflo

Had success yesterday with a club room at the Athenee. Got 25% off the booking.com rate. Other room types were identical to the published rate on the website.

M.dA.R.

CJKatl

Sticking to ease of getting around, since what is close to one attraction will be far from the next but if you can get on BTS/MRT/SkyWalk you can easily get to any attractions...

SPG Hotels, in order: SGS, Westin, StR, Athenee, 4P and ROS (many people like staying on the river and it can be convenient for transportation, but not, IME, as convenient as the others)
Marriott Hotels, in order: Ren, Marriott Soi 57 (a little farther out but easy access to BTS and great views from the room), JW, Courtyard (very nice for the price) and Marquis.

The SGS and Ren are very easy transportation-wise, steps from the BTS station. The JW was just renovated but UGs are few and far between and the bathrooms are still totally interior and cramped. The CY bathrooms are also small and interior only, no glass to the outside. The JW CL is huge. The Soi 57 is the quietest of the hotels with the StR and CY also pretty quiet. The CY has a nice lounge.

Avoid: LM Surawong unless you intend to primarily visit the nearby adult establishments, which you will need to walk through to get to the BTS. There are better hotels closer to transportation where you do not have to dodge bar workers trying to lure you into their ping pong and wrestling shows. Marriott Surawong is new, not many reports and far from transportation.

barracuda93

Not necessarily in fact. Also, can't see any extra pain in that compared to walking in any crowded street in Bkk.

CJKatl

At the same price or less there are much nicer hotels in Bangkok. The service is meh compared to excellent at other Starriott properties and walking outside is not like walking outside near the other properties. The cruddy, sparse two hour Creative drinks and apps is an embarrassment compared to the all day full service lounges at the other properties and the breakfast is at best no better than those other properties. While I understand there are fans, for a first time visitor concerned about getting around it is absolutely the wrong property. And this is the only property where people showed me pictures of female wrestling contenders I could watch inside a bar as I walked to the BTS one night. Compared to the quiet, clean nice takeouts one passes between the Soi 57 Marriott and the BTS or the park-like wide sidewalks outside the StR and CY and it is hard to say that what happens outside the LM is like walking in any other street in BKK.

geminidreams

They are within 15 minutes walking distance so location isnt really a factor. StR has a direct connection to the BTS which is a very convenient transport mode whereas Athenee requires a 3 minute walk to BTS.

geminidreams

I like the Bamboo Chic and I like browsing the Patpong market, the adult entertainment can be ignored, I certainly am not offended by it and for getting around it is hardly inconvenient being 1 whole BTS stop further out than STR. I consider Soi 57 remote so there you go. The real issue with the LM is that the suites are great and the standard rooms are poor.

CJKatl

I am not offended by the adult entertainment, I just don't want to have to walk through it every time I leave the hotel. The suites are on par with the Marquis and not as nice as the Soi 57 where the bath has outside windows, a huge soaking tub and there is an additional half bath to boot. And while the Soi 57 property is farther out, it is still close in, is in the great Thong Lo neighborhood and is steps from the BTS instead of the long slog through ping pong shows. The views are spectacular and the lounge is quite good.

geminidreams

During the day you dont walk through any of it. I like going to some of the bars and listening to live music there. About the only views in BKK that are even mildly interesting from my perspective were for the rive at ROS. Usually I will stay at 2 or 3 locations in a trip and of the SPG hotels I have never stayed at LMS and rarely at STR or SGS due to pricing/value for money. They all have there own pros and cons and in the end we favour those that mostly meet our particular expectations.

CJKatl

During the day it is not as crowded and not as much activity spilling out on the sidewalks, but you are still walking through it. Why stay where you have to run that gauntlet when there are nicer hotels offering more at the same price in better locations? If on a second or third visit someone knowingly wants to stay in the area, no problem, but I would not recommend the subpar hotel in that area for someone's first visit unless they understand the particulars.

And while we agree that most SPG and Marriott properties in BKK have meh views, the Suk 57 Marriott has spectacular views of the city. The hotel is only on the top floors of the building with floor to ceiling windows and the rooftop bar has become a tourist destination. I just met a friend's daughter who spent two years teaching in Bangkok. She and her friends would bring visitors to the Marriott for the rooftop bar's views, Her parents spoke glowingly, calling it one of the highlights of their visit. Some StR rooms have good views of Lumpini Park, but it's not like the Soi 57 property where every room has a great view.

Kacee

I agree. I've stayed all over Bangkok and IMO SGS is the very best location, with direct skyway access to BTS and Terminal 21.

I also concur that LM location is not so great due to the walk to BTS.

dsquared37

While I'm not a fan of the LM's location I do find walking to MRT easier than BTS.

Dr. HFH

Wow. First, from reading your posts and knowing nothing about you, it appears to me that you had a bad experience at LM. Care to share?

Service meh? Not in my experience. IME the staff is always smiling and happy to try to meet any request. And although you say that you are not offended by adult entertainment, it's pretty clear to me that you are. You don't have to walk through any adult entertainment district to get from LM to public transportation. Go out of the hotel, turn left, and turn left immediately again. You'll be in a small soi which leads to the front of the famous Wat Hua Lamphong temple, directly in front of which is the Sam Yan MRT station. Note that you will be walking directly away from any adult entertainment area. The walk is also shorter (in both time and distance) than the walk to the Sala Daeng BTS station.

You don't like the Happy Hour? Yes, like SGS, there is no lounge at LM. Happy Hour at LM is at the Bamboo Chic bar. I find it a visually appealing, slightly trendy, modern bar. The staff is always smiling and happy to assist. Want your standard drink made slightly differently? Just ask, and it will be done. If you don't like it, they'll do it again. Hors d'oeuvres are served, on small plates of three different ones each. Want more? Just ask. And, speaking for myself, I'd much rather have Happy Hour in a real bar with bartender service and a full range of mixed drinks available. Can you be more specific about why you find LM's Happy Hour "cruddy" and "sparse"?